Mt. Meili (Kawagebo or Kawakarpo) is located at the junction of the Jinsha River, Lancang River and Nu river (a world heritage site listed by UNESCO).It reaches an astonishing 22,112 feet (6740 meters) high as Yunnan's tallest mountain. It is among one of the eight sacred mountains the Tibetans worship,looks like gilded when the sun rises. There are 13 lesser peaks around it, each more than 6,000m above sea level. Kawagebo tops the list of the Eight Holy Mountains in Tibetan Buddhism, which draws tens of thousands of pilgrims who spend 2-3 weeks slowly circumambulating (circling) Kawagebo's gigantic base from the end of autumn to the start of winter.

Legend has it that Kang Karpo Peak is the incarnation of a Tibetan God who helped the local people drive the evil spirit away. The mountain's name means white snow mountain in the Tibetan language and it is named after a patron saint in Tibetan Buddhism. It's said Kang Karpo often rode a white horse with a sword in his hand. His majestic appearance was similar to that of the peak. It is said that reaching the top of the Potala Palace, you would see the profile of Kang Karpo through the colorful clouds.

However, Mount Meili's fame lies not only in its religious significance. As the tallest mountain in the entire Yunnan province, yet it has never been scaled, despite numerous attempts since 1902 by experienced English, Chinese and Japanese climbers. It's one of those rarities in today's global village, a virgin peak. Precipitous cliffs, frequent avalanches, thick fogs, dense clouds, heavy rain and sudden storms have so far kept mountaineers from reaching the top, and added greatly to its legendary mystery.